The Man of Her Dreams
by colorado2
Summary: Amy is on a reality TV show like the Bachelor. And Ephram's a contestant!
1. Welcome to The Man of Her Dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own the town of Everwood or the characters of Everwood. I also don't own Chris Harrison.  
  
"Hi, I'm Chris Harrison, and welcome to this season of, The Man of Her Dreams. Last year, we left off with Ben proposing to Angela, they are now happily married and enjoying an all expenses paid honeymoon to Tahiti. But now it's time to meet the star of this season's The Man of Her Dreams, 25-year-old Amy Abbot. Amy grew up in the small town of Everwood, Colorado. When she was just 16, her boyfriend of two years died of a brain injury, leaving Amy in a depression for almost a year. After breaking from this depression she went to Vassar College and received a BA in psychology. She then went on to Brown Graduate School and received a degree in teen counseling. She said she wanted to make sure that teenagers who were in the same position as she had been in, had someone to talk to and something to turn to other than prescription drugs such as antidepressants. But all of this work left Amy without a man in her life, until now. And here she is, the women of their dreams, Amy Abbot!"  
  
Amy walked down the steps from the door with an escort who let her go as she reached the bottom of the step leading down from the front door. She looked gorgeous with her hair up in tight bun and wearing a white evening gown with a plunging neckline.  
  
"Hello Amy, welcome to your dream home. Now in a few minutes, you will be meeting the 15 men, one of which will be the man of your dreams. What do you think about that, meeting the man of your dreams on TV?" Chris said, while leading her to sit down on the squishy couch present in the room full of rose petals of all colors.  
  
" I think here is just as good a place as any to meet my dream man, so when I was offered the chance, I took it."  
  
"Thanks Amy. So are you ready for this, to meet the 15 men, one of which, could become your husband."  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be." She said, as Chris escorted her to the door as she waited for the first limo to arrive.  
  
The first limo, a white one, drove up and stopped at the front of the huge mansion. The driver got out and opened a door, and a man in a suit, who was extremely handsome, came out. He walked toward her and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"Hi, I'm Aaron, its nice to finally meet you."  
  
"It's nice to meet you too. I'll see you inside." She replied, and he began walking inside, but not without giving her a kiss on the cheek first.  
  
The next limo was black. And Tad came out. She went through the process of him introducing himself and her saying it was nice to meet him until the next limo came up.  
  
This went on for Nathan, Josh, Carter, Chad, Seth, Adrian, Shane, Ethan, Max, David, Matthew, and Gabe. Finally it was the last limo, it was black, like half of the others, and it stopped right in front the house, like all the others. But when the last and final man of her dreams walked out, he was not like all of the other men.  
  
He was more handsome, and he wasn't wearing a suit, instead he was just wearing a light blue dress shirt and a pair of nice jeans. She had to admit, he looked a little underdressed, but his gorgeous face and perfectly toned body made up for it. He had yet to make eye contact with her.  
  
He walked up the stairs, to the cement walk covered by an awning with roses growing on it where Amy stood. Finally he looked up and looked into her eyes and they both immediately froze. The man finally came out from his lapse enough to say, "Hi I'm Ephram."  
  
"Amy" she said, as much as she could say after the shock. He gave her a peck on the cheek like the other men, although somewhat more awkwardly, and she watched him walk inside.  
  
Chris Harrison came out from behind one of the bushes and began to talk to Amy. "So there they were, the men of your dreams. Now go inside and talk to the 15 men and enjoy the party." He said. Then he motioned for the cameras to stop and all the cameramen turned off their cameras and began to move inside for the party.  
  
"So what did you really think?" Chris asked her.  
  
" I guess you're a lot more personable than you seem to be on TV." She said to him with a laugh.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but I like to become friends with the "leading" men and women of the show." He said, putting his fingers up in quotations. "You seemed to be pretty taken aback by the last guy. Ephram I think his name was. I think he's a piano player from New York. He's getting pretty famous. Went to Julliard I think and graduated at the top of his class. Pretty amazing guy from what I've read about him."  
  
"Really she said, trying to sound as if she had no idea that Ephram went to Julliard or even played the piano, she didn't want to risk Ephram getting kicked off the show because she already knew him, something that the producers seemed to have missed. "Well I better get in, don't want to keep the men of my dreams waiting." She said excitedly but with a little bit of added sarcasm.  
  
"Of course not," Chris said, as he hooked his arm so he could escort her to the front door. When they reached the door, the doorman opened it for them and cameras were in their faces again, and Chris restarted the scripted lines.  
  
"Amy," he said, "let the journey begin." 


	2. One on One Time

Disclaimer: Since this show is almost exactly The Bachelor I'm just going to say that I don't own the Bachelor or the Bachelorette. I just watch it every week. But I do own The Man of Her Dreams!  
  
Amy walked into her party and looked around at all the handsome men socializing with each other and not knowing she had walked into the room. She knew that if they knew she was in the room that she would be swarmed with men.  
  
And she was right, as soon as she walked into the main room of the house the men were all talking to her and asking her if she had the same interests as them and trying to get some one on one time with her. All of the men except one.  
  
Ephram was by the table with paper gold plates and assorted party platters and glasses of champagne.  
  
"Hey kid," a middle aged camera man barked, " why aren't you gettin' in on the action?"  
  
'I'm waiting for the right moment." He replied. "Where's the bathroom?" he asked, and the man pointed down the hall. He didn't really have to go to the bathroom and he wasn't really using some super reality show strategy. He was nervous. He hadn't seen Amy since the day he left for Julliard. She had come to the airport and given him a heartfelt kiss on the cheek, which he returned, on the lips, passionately, and then walked onto the terminal. He didn't look back and he didn't see her face smiling from the kiss she had been waiting for so long for. He hadn't seen her since. Until now.  
  
He walked into the bathroom, leaned against the marble and slowly sank down the marble floor.  
  
* * *  
  
She had talked to a considerable amount of the men. Some of which she wouldn't have talked to if she wasn't forced to, and some of them were great. But she was still waiting for the one right guy. She was pretty sure he was sitting somewhere, with his intense green eyes staring at the ground, upset. He probably didn't want to see her again.  
  
She excused herself from the men who were continuing to suck up to her. She walked outside onto the beautiful, also covered in rose petals. She saw him, sitting on a bench, with his head down. When he saw her he immediately stood up and tried to flatten his still spiky dark brown hair.  
  
"The star of the show!" he said to her in his usual sarcastic manner.  
She waved toward the camera crews and told them that they could film their "one-on-one time in a few minutes. She waited for them to leave and as soon as they did she burst out.  
  
"Ephram what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in New York becoming famous, not pretending that you don't know me and that you're vying to win me over on a TV show. How did you get on anyway?"  
  
"They never told us your name, they wanted it to be a secret. I said I grew up in New York and that I lived in New York, simple as that."  
  
"Why were you even trying out for this show?"  
  
"Kind of a joke, didn't think I would get in. I guess our personalities fit together; we must have passed the compatibility test." He said with a smile. She laughed at him and she thought of all the times he made her laugh, even in the toughest situations.  
  
"So what are we supposed to do?" she asked, sounding like this was something all about the situation at hand, but really she was thinking about how much of a sign this was. She loved Ephram, and he loved her still, although she didn't know it. The only reason that they were both on this show because they were both having trouble with love; for a reason.  
  
Her thoughts, and Ephram's reply were cut short by the camera crew returning from inside the party.  
  
"Okay, private time's over," a crude man operating the sound equipment shouted at them, " can we at least fake a something. Like where do you live, what do you do for a living stuff?"  
  
"Oh," Amy stated, clearing her throat, "sure." She waited a few minutes until the cameramen said that the cameras were all clear and they were ready.  
"So, um, Ephram, what do you do for a living."  
  
" I play piano. I went to Julliard for my playing. Right now I'm just teaching kids in New York and I do a few concerts, but I guess you could say I'm just paying my dues." Ephram said, saying the prepared speech he had written for the girl who he wasn't supposed to know.  
  
"That's interesting. I'd love to hear you play sometime, I'm sure you're good." Amy said, knowing fully well how good Ephram was at the piano and couldn't even imagine him getting better from his four years at Julliard, but figured it was possible. But she wasn't lying, she would like to hear him play again, that sweet sound that she loved so much and thought of often, even now.  
  
"I'd love to." He said, without her knowing that during their entire conversation he had already written the first measure of a new song for her that he couldn't wait to get to a piano and write. "So what do you do for a living."  
  
"I'm a teen therapist."  
  
"That's cool." Ephram said, not knowing what else to say.  
  
They sat in awkward silence, not knowing how else they were supposed to talk to each other, pretending not to know each other. The camera crew got tired of this quickly, they already had enough footage of them staring romantically into each other's eyes, although neither of them knew that they were doing it.  
  
"Thanks kid." The same cameraman said to Ephram. "Amy, lets go back inside, I think Chris is coming out soon for the candle ceremony."  
  
"Sorry, I have to go," Amy said. Hope to talk to you soon."  
  
She walked inside with the cameramen, and Ephram stared after her. He wondered if it was possible for her to be even more beautiful than before. "It was," he thought. "Look at how gorgeous she looked tonight," and he walked inside. 


	3. Consideration Room

Once Amy returned inside she was again, mobbed my men. She talked to them and almost knew those who she would eliminate and who would stay, but it was fun talking to all of them while it lasted.  
  
Chris Harrison walked out from the room behind the stairs with a glass and a spoon.  
  
"Gentlemen, its time for Amy to come upstairs and make her decision, Amy." He said, inviting her up the stair to the Consideration Room.  
  
Amy took a hold of his arm and began to walk up the step. When she was almost out of sight, she turned around, as told, and waved at the men. She caught one's eye. And he waved back at her and gave her a little wink.  
  
She smiled at what Ephram had just done, then turned back around and continued up the stairs with Chris.  
  
They walked into the Consideration Room. She looked at the pictures of all the men standing on a hanging counter on the other side of the room. But Chris instead led her to the couch. She knew the deal, a little talk for the cameras, then the decision.  
  
While they waited for the cameramen to arrive and set up, Amy and Chris had another little heart-to-heart.  
  
"So Amy, what did you really think of the 15 men of your dreams."  
  
"Some of them were kind of weird. Like Adrian, I was a little freaked out by him. He wouldn't stop talking about himself and how good he was at his job of bartending. But some of them were nice. Tad was very gentlemanly. He talked about himself and he asked about me and he always knew how to say the right thing. And Ephram." Amy said, although she didn't know what to say about Ephram. All she knew was that she, as past Woman of Their Dreams had said, had "felt a connection". But the difference was, she had felt this connection for ten years.  
  
"Yeah," Chris said. "I saw a connection between you two."  
  
"Ok, ready in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." An abnormally thin cameraman with a bizarre looking goatee said.  
  
"So Amy, what did you think of the 15 Men of Your Dreams?"  
"They were all really great guys. I know I'm hard time choosing. I just hope I don't send the right guy home. There are just so many great guys and I don't know how I'm possibly going to choose." Amy said, knowing that it was what she should say, and didn't want to upset the producers.  
  
"Well Amy, I'll leave you here to consider each man. I'm going to go talk to them and when I come back I hope you'll be ready to make your decision." Chris said, then nodded and left the room.  
  
Amy watched him leave and as he did the camera crew stopped the tape and moved to the other side of the room with the pictures of all the men.  
Amy walked over to the counter of pictures to begin her consideration but was interrupted by the cameramen.  
  
"Could you just move a little bit to the left," a tall cameraman with graying hair asked her, as she moved to the left. "Now put your chin up a little and face the pictures. "  
  
Amy did as she was told by the cameraman and began to think about each of the men and which ones she wanted to stay and which ones she wanted to go.  
  
She looked and saw the picture of Tad, and that of Carter, and Josh and then her eyes came across the picture of Ephram and she started deeply at it and thought of their past. She thought of her junior year and of Colin and Tommy and her family and her brother and her grandparents and how Ephram was there at the end of it all. After all the bad stuff she had been through he was still there waiting for her. He had told her he had always been waiting for her. And she remembered the kiss. The kiss that would change her life.  
  
The same rude cameraman interrupted her thoughts. "Perfect, thanks for the good consideration footage. We're gonna head downstairs to catch Chris and his usual speech. Now you really can consider all the men. And hey, if you don't like any of them, I'm always here." He said hopefully and Amy couldn't help but laugh. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. He reminded her of her dad. Annoying at first but then you get to know him and you can't stop loving him. Everyone always did in the end.  
  
"Thanks." She replied, and waited for every single cameraman to leave the Consideration Room before she walked over and closed the door and returned to the pictures. She looked at the pictures of all the men carefully, even though she already knew the ones who she didn't want to stay. And after this careful consideration she finally decided on the final 10 men of her dreams.  
  
* * *  
  
Chris walked down the stairs with the tray of 15 white candles with a red candle on top of the pile. He placed the candles down on the small marble table and removed the red candle from the top of the pile and put it down on the table. He then gave each of the 15 men a white candle. To possibly be lit by Amy in just moments and then returned the red candle to the silver platter next to the matches in a silver matchbox. He then turned to the men.  
  
"Now that you've met the Woman of Your Dreams. I'm sure you would all like to get to know her better. But if you could not see yourself marrying Amy, you can and should reject the flame from her candle." Chris said in his usual boring and speech-like fashion that he saved particularly for these speeches. And as usual, no one left or flinched.  
  
"Now, I'll go get The Woman of Your Dreams."  
  
A/N: Please read and review! 


	4. Candle Ceremony

Chris returned on his third steps down the stairs of the night with Amy by his side, her arm crooked in his. He led her to the table and directed her to pick up the red candle. He silently lit her candle with one of the matches.  
  
"The light represents Amy's feelings for you. If Amy does have these feelings, she will give you a little bit of those feelings." Chris said, giving the men a little bit of background information on the "ceremony". "Amy, when you're ready." He said, and then left the room for the side room behind the stairs.  
  
"It was great getting a chance to talk to all of you tonight." Amy said, beginning her speech. "And I can see myself falling for each and every one of you. But unfortunately, I have to send five of you home tonight. It was a really hard decision for me but I hope I made the right choice." Amy said, wrapping up her speech.  
  
With that, Amy straightened her back and began the ceremony.  
  
"Ethan." Amy said, giving the first of her light away. Ethan smiled when he heard his name and walked towards Amy.  
  
"Ethan will you accept this light?" Amy asked, as she knew she must.  
  
"Yes, I will, thank you." Ethan replied, smiling despite him self as Amy lit his candle.  
  
When Ethan's own mini ceremony was over he walked back to the rest of the men and went back to his place. But you could tell he was considerably happier, not to mention the light glimmering off of his candle.  
  
Amy's emotions were nothing like Ethan's. She continued the ceremony exactly as she had when she started.  
  
"Carter." She said, stating the next name that she was giving some of her light to.  
  
Carter, like Ethan walked up to Amy and received the light, then rejoined the men and looked cheerful, unlike all the rest of them, except for Ethan.  
  
This went on for Nathan, Shane, Aaron, Gabe, Seth, and Tad. Ephram was beginning to wonder. He knew that she only had two lights left to give. Maybe, he thought, that her strategy for the producers not to know that she knew him was to not keep him for future rounds.  
  
Ephram's worries seemed to be confirmed when Josh was given Amy's second to last light. Ephram just stood there as Amy lit Josh's candle and looked as nervous as the rest of the men with unlit candles.  
  
Chris Harrison then walked in from the side room saying another of his speeches.  
  
"This is Amy's final light of the night." Chris said, ignoring the rhyme that Ephram would have laughed at had he not been so nervous. Then he left.  
  
Amy then straightened her back like she had at the beginning of the ceremony and took a deep breath to prepare herself for what she was about to say.  
  
"Ephram." She said.  
  
Ephram didn't even try to deny his happiness when he walked up to Amy and waited for her to light his candle. And as she did all his fears seem to melt away along with the melted wax from the candle.  
  
As he walked back to his place in the "lineup" and felt like he was a sophomore in high school again. Falling for the beautiful girl. But he knew the truth, he had never stopped falling for her. Ever. Not even for a minute.  
  
Chris Harrison walked out from the room behind the stairs for the last time that night and said what would be his last message, to the five men who were leaving.  
  
"Gentlemen, if your candles were not lit, I'm sorry to say, but this dream is over. Take this time to say your goodbyes.  
  
The men, who weren't really the hugging type, didn't exactly know what to do. Amy was again surrounded by men, all of which she had rejected. They all hugged her goodbye and politely hugged each other goodbye for the cameras, and politely, the cameramen turned off the cameras without telling the people being filmed, so they could have this moment.  
  
The rejected men walked outside to talk to the cameras waiting for them and the men who stayed had to wait for their limos to return so they could go back to their hotel that they had been staying at until they moved into, what the show called, "Any Man's Dream House". They also had to wait for the toast for the "Final Ten Men Toast", for which the glasses of champagne were currently being given out.  
  
When everyone had their glasses, the men and Amy all gathered in a circle, with a few cameramen around them of course. All the men waited for Amy to make her toast.  
  
"To getting to know you all much better in the next few weeks." Amy said. "Cheers."  
  
"Cheers" Everyone else replied, and they clinked glasses and took a sip of their champagne. Then the men proceeded outside to wait for their cars, considering the rejected men had already left to go pack.  
  
Amy stood at the doorway and waved to them as Chris Harrison closed the door for her.  
  
"You did a good job." Chris said. "Most of the women freak out and we have to either start over or edit it out."  
  
"Well you guys mask it up well." Amy said, glad she had him as a friend, considering she'd probably be spending more time with him than time she spent with the men.  
  
"C'mon upstairs, "I'll show you to your room. You must be tired after a long day like this."  
  
"I'm dead Amy said, I could sleep for all of tomorrow."  
  
"Sorry about that. Wish you could but at six A.M tomorrow you have to wake up so we can shoot the video invitation and so that I can show it to the men by 11."  
  
"Will I be getting any sleep when I'm here?" Amy asked jokingly.  
  
"Nope." Chris said, as he led Amy upstairs to her bedroom.  
  
A/N: Please read and review. And tell me what you think of the candle ceremony. I didn't want it to be exactly like the Bachelor and I thought long and hard about what it would be instead. So tell me what you think. 


	5. In the Hotel Room

A/N: Beware, this chapter is a little R rated  
  
Amy had changed out of her beautiful white dress and was wearing only her sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt as she walked down the hall of the fancy hotel where the "Men of her Dreams" were staying. She pulled out a small scrap of paper, and looked at the number of the room in front of her. The paper seemed to have confirmed the room number and she knocked on the door.  
  
On the other end of the door Ephram was about to go to bed and had his favorite boxers on, the ones with American flags and he had quickly thrown a white tank top on when he heard the knock at the door. He thought it was the camera crew or someone telling him where to be tomorrow and at what time.  
  
"Amy?" he screamed, when he opened the door. He hadn't meant to scream but he was least of all expecting her to be there.  
  
"Not so loud," she replied, " I had to sneak away from the camera crews to come here. I think we need to talk about some stuff."  
  
"Sure come in." Ephram said, inviting her into his room, and closing the door after her and putting on the do not disturb sign on so they wouldn't be interrupted.  
  
"So what did you want to talk about?" Ephram asked, still in slight shock from seeing her.  
  
"I wanted to talk about how we're going to handle this situation." Amy said, sitting down on the king sized bed.  
  
"What situation?" Ephram asked.  
  
" The one with the producers and us knowing each other and having them not figure out or us just telling them." Amy said calmly.  
  
"Wait a sec." Ephram said.  
  
"What?" Amy replied, wondering what could be so important that they would have to stop this conversation for it. She was beginning to get frustrated.  
  
"There's something on your face." Ephram said, leaning in and putting a finger gently on her cheek. "Look, it's an eyelash, make a wish." He said, as he held his finger in front of her mouth so she could blow away the eyelash.  
  
Amy looked up at him and smiled then made her wish. She had wished to find love on the show, and after blowing away the eyelash, as she looked up into Ephram's beautiful green eyes, and she knew she already had.  
  
"So what did you wish for?" Ephram asked flirtingly.  
  
"I dunno." Amy said back to Ephram in the same way, but not mocking him. And Ephram leaned over and kissed her.  
  
And she kissed him back with all the emotion and passion she had in her. And they continued to kiss each other. And Amy's hand moved up to Ephram's head and they just kept kissing each other so passionately, the most passionately they ever had in their entire lives. And soon Ephram's tank top was off and her sweatshirt was off and Ephram was taking off her bra. And his boxers were off and her sweatpants were off and all of their clothes were lying in a heap on the floor next to the bed.  
  
And they were also in a heap on the bed, kissing and making love so passionately. It was neither of their first times, but they were each other's only partners they had ever had in their lifetimes. And in that moment, they felt they would never have any other.  
  
They didn't stop until early that morning when they fell asleep.  
  
They didn't wake up until Ephram's alarm clock went off at 5:30 the next day. He had wanted to take a run before he was scheduled to move into the men's house.  
  
"Oh, shit." Amy screamed, as she heard the alarm clock go off in the morning. She was very aware of where she was and did not in the least bit regret doing what she had done the last night. All she regretted was sleeping in too late to get ready to go to the video clip shoot.  
  
"Ephram." She said gently, waking him up. "Ephram."  
  
Ephram turned over and smiled as he saw Amy's smiling face. "Good morning gorgeous." He said, sarcastically, but still sweetly, and Amy knew he meant it. And she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.  
  
"But I have to go." Amy said sadly, tearing herself away from his lips and his dancing green eyes. "I don't want Chris and the rest of them knowing that I've been here. They might kick you off the show." Amy said, and then went silent. "About that."  
  
"Amy," Ephram cut her off, "I'll just pretend I don't know you ok. And it will be fine. Don't worry."  
  
Amy nodded. She put all of her trust in him. And she got up and got dressed as Ephram watched her. As she quietly walked out the door, she turned around and blew him a kiss. And as she walked down the hall and as he lay in bed, they couldn't stop themselves from grinning.  
  
* * *  
  
"Amy you're here!" Chris exclaimed AS Amy walked into the warehouse where they were set to decide the two groups of dates and film the two video messages. "We were looking all over for you. The limo driver went past the house and you weren't there!" Chris said, obviously the messenger from the producers sent to yell at her.  
  
"Sorry," Amy replied, sounding shameful but not feeling guilty at all. "I just slept in kinda late and so I drove my car over here. I didn't know I had to take the limo. Is that ok?" She asked. Trying to sound innocent. It wasn't a lie really.  
  
"Ok, that's fine, as long as you don't do it again, ok." Chris said to her, sounding exasperated.  
  
"Ok." Amy said as she followed Chris inside the warehouse to a set of a rodeo, complete with live horses. She could already guess where her first "fantasy" date would be.  
  
A/N: Please read and review. I really want your advice on this chapter. I kinda went out on a limb and I hope you like it. 


	6. Dinner Date

All of the ten men that Amy had chosen were now sitting comfortably on the armchairs and couches in front of the TV on the second floor of their new "dream house". Chris Harrison was in front of them in a blue polo shirt, giving yet another speech.  
  
"Welcome to your dream house! Do you guys like the place?"  
  
Screams of "yes" and "hell yeah" and "it's tight" were heard from all the men.  
  
"Glad to hear it." Chris replied. "Now, over the course of the next few days, Amy will be going on two dream dates, with five of you in each of them. She will be leaving you guys video messages. Each video message will say who will say who will go and what the date is and where it will be. And here's your first one." He said, pulling out a video and throwing it to Shane, who caught it gracefully, he had played football in high school and college. "I'll see you guys at the next candle ceremony." Chris said. And he walked out of the huge French front doors.  
  
Shane placed the video in the VCR of the plasma TV. As Amy appeared on the screen they all smiled, but Ephram did the most of all.  
  
In the video, Amy was wearing her hair in two long braids and was wearing a tied up jean shirt, a black bikini bottom, and a cowboy hat. No one could deny that she looked gorgeous.  
  
"Howdy boys." She said, making Ephram almost burst to keep himself from laughing. "Shane, Tad, Ethan, Nathan, and Carter, you're invited for a wild ride on one of these guys." She said, pointing to the horses behind her. "Hope you like horses." And the video faded slowly to black.  
  
"She looked great" Tad said. He would obviously be the guy portrayed as the one everyone hated. There was always one of those guys. He was a nice guy but he did some pretty stupid and annoying things that if you didn't know him you could cut clips out and make it seem like he was an asshole.  
  
"She always does." Ephram said quietly to himself as he began to walk down the stairs, to the first floor, to what would be his bedroom for the next two months.  
  
* * *  
  
Later that night, Ephram silently crawled out the window of the dream house. He had chosen an undesirable room on the floor for two reasons. He could have his own room and not have to share it with another man vying for the heart of the woman he had loved since he knew how to love. He could also sneak out of the house easily.  
  
He fell into the bushes below his window and had to brush off the leaves from his best outfit that he had there, his treasured tuxedo. He played for his Julliard audition in that tuxedo and it had been good luck for him ever since. He didn't want it to get destroyed.  
  
He noiselessly walked to the back of the house where he had sneaked in his car. It wasn't the same rusty old one he had gotten in Everwood, he had let his dad keep that one, but it was a shiny new black Mercedes. He had been saving up for it after getting stuck on the New York subway during the blackout.  
  
Trying to remain as quiet as he could, he drove his car out the driveway and began his, as his map from MapQuest said, 15.7 minute drive to the restaurant.  
  
* * *  
  
Amy was already sitting at the table that she had reserved for her and Ephram. It was a fancy restaurant with roses in the center of the table, and little of the light was from anything besides the soft glimmer of the candles in the center of the table.  
  
She was wearing a silk red cocktail dress with a flared hem and spaghetti strap sleeves. Her hair was pulled back into a half ponytail and it had waves that seemed to be rolling around her hair and made it shine even more. She looked stunning.  
As Ephram walked in she stood up and pulled out his chair.  
  
"Hey isn't that my job." he said, leaving his pulled out chair and pulling hers out for her, he was like the perfect gentleman.  
  
A waiter soon came by for their orders. They tried to stay in the low price range but it was an expensive restaurant, but the prices didn't seem to bother them. Nothing seemed to bother them when they were with each other.  
  
After the date Ephram picked up the tab. The soon-to-be-famous pianist was not making a low income. Amy appreciated the gesture and made a mental note to herself to pay the next time they went out to dinner.  
"Ready to get going?" Ephram asked Amy after the waiter returned with Ephram's credit card.  
  
"Yeah." She replied, as they walked outside to Ephram's car, leaving Amy's in the parking lot.  
  
They reached the hotel where Ephram had stayed the previous night. He had decided to keep the room, without the producer's knowledge of course. He had his reasons.  
  
They walked in together, holding hands. As Ephram reached the middle of the room, with the huge bed, he reached into the drawer with the Bible and drew out the "Do Not Disturb" sign. Amy had already taken off her shoes and stockings. He handed her the sign and, almost telepathically, she knew to put it on the door.  
  
She tiptoed out, checked the hall for any cameras that may have been following them, put the sign on the door and returned inside. Ephram already had his tie off and was in the process of unbuttoning his shirt.  
  
Amy walked over and kissed him on the lips. And they continued to kiss passionately. Amy broke away, and as Ephram finished unbuttoning his shirt, she closed the door and locked it.  
  
A/N: Sorry if this is getting to be too much of a trashy romance novel. I hope it isn't. Anyway, read and review. And tell me what guys you want to make it to the end. I'm making this for you guys. 


	7. In the Limo

The doorbell rang at the men's dream house. They knew who it was. It was the day of the Amy's rodeo group date. There were cameramen already inside, waiting for Amy to arrive, and literally every man in the house rushed for the door. Josh got there first.  
  
"Hello gorgeous," he said to Amy, using a line that was supposed to be smooth, as Amy walked into the house followed stealthily by her cameramen. Amy thought the line was a little weird though. She wasn't big on pick up lines, she had heard enough to last a lifetime when she was at college.  
  
"Hello to you too handsome." She said, hiding her confusion. As she said so, every man glowered at Josh. "Ready to go you guys?" She said to the pack of men who were going on this date. It was obvious too. They were all wearing cowboy boots and cowboy hats.  
  
All the rodeo-ed up men nodded and began to subtlety rush toward the limo. They all wanted to get a seat next to Amy.  
  
In the end, it turned out, Carter and Shane ended up next to Amy, much to Tad, Nathan, and Ethan's despair, and Carter and Shane's delight. Amy didn't know what to think of the men yet. She barely knew them, how was she supposed to tell the cameramen in the interviews what she really thought of them and who there was chemistry with. I guess she would just have to wait to find out.  
  
Everyone in the limo sat in silence, they didn't know how to break the ice and the cameraman sitting in the corner of the limo was not helping.  
  
"So where are you guys all from?" Amy asked, in her attempt to loosen things up a little. It didn't spark too much reaction, but some.  
  
"I'm from a small town in Maine, you probably haven't heard of it, Holden?" Nathan said quietly and slowly. He seemed like a sweet guy but not one who was super outgoing, he was more reserved and shy from what Amy could tell.  
  
"No, sorry I haven't heard of it." She said, laughing cautiously.  
  
"It's ok, not that many people have." He said almost inaudibly. He felt as though he shouldn't have said anything and was thoroughly embarrassed. Amy however felt bad for him and tried to continue the conversation as the other men looked on jealously and wished they had told her their hometowns.  
  
"Tell me about it." Amy said kindly. He was more like a little brother to her but she liked him all the same.  
  
"Well, as I said, its pretty small. Only about 2,000 people." He said, starting to sound louder and more confident.  
  
"Wow," she said, surprised. "That's even smaller than my town. And we have just about only 9,000 people there." She said.  
  
"Yeah, I promised myself I would move out after I came home from college and got all my extra stuff from home, but I ended up just getting another house in Holden. I guess it's where I will forever call home." He said, mumbling the last part.  
  
"I can't imagine living anywhere but Everwood. I've lived there my whole life and I'm glad. It's the only place I ever want to call home." She said, politely, but also subtlety was letting him know that if they were to get together, which she doubted, that he, or any other man in the car, would have to move to Everwood with her. It was her only request she had for the men.  
  
The limo returned to its awkward silence, broken only by the sound of the cameraman changing the tapes in his camera.  
  
"So what do you all do for a living?" Amy asked, again trying to create a conversation, preferably one that involved the whole car, and not just here and one "man of her dreams".  
  
"I own a bar back east in Boston." Tad said, quick to answer her present question, and the previous one, after regretting for the last fifteen minutes of having not spoke up when she had first asked.  
  
"Really." Amy said, sounding interested, although she only was remotely. She never was much of a drinker, although she didn't say so to Tad. "So, what's it called?" She asked.  
  
"Tad and Mad's. I started it right after college. My best friend, Maddox, and I had always wanted to open one but we never really thought we would. But when he died in a car accident two weeks before graduation I realized that I had to do it, for him."  
  
"I'm really sorry." Amy replied immediately. She was always sure to respond and help people when they spoke of the death of a loved one. She knew where they were coming from when they talked about how sad they were and how much they missed them.  
  
"It's ok." He replied. "Its been, God, almost four years already. I probably would still be mourning if it weren't for the bar. That helped me move on. Like a sign from him, y'know?"  
  
"Yeah," she replied, knowing exactly how he felt. She looked up and realized that everyone else was still there. Along with the camera man. She had totally zoned out with Tad.  
  
Another ten minute awkward silence followed as the limo made it's way to their own private rodeo in Los Angeles.  
  
* * *  
  
Back at the Men's Dream House, Aaron returned from his afternoon jog with a video in his hand.  
  
"We got another one." He said, almost on purpose to the camera that was only inches away from him.  
  
The camera followed him as he put the tape in the VCR player and waited until every man currently in the house was by the TV.  
  
After they were all comfortably seated on the couches or an easy chair, Aaron began the tape, as three cameramen taped in the background.  
  
The tape immediately flashed to Amy, wearing nothing but a long Lakers jersey.  
  
"Hey guys," she said in a sexy voice, "get ready to root for your favorite team when we head out to see a LA Laker's game. And who knows, while you're there, you might even score." She said, as the screen faded to black and all the men went back to what they were doing, but now, they all were smiling.  
  
A/N: Sorry this took me so long. I was having major writer's block and could not come up with sufficient limo conversation. But tell me what you think. 


	8. Rodeo Time!

The limo arrived at the Wildhorse Ranch and Rodeo at noon, right on time. The conversation had since picked up in the limo, and Amy no longer had to use her conversation starters.  
  
When they walked out of the limo and saw the large corral in front of them, with wild horses and bulls and their riders, ready to go to put on a private show for Amy and all the men on her date. They went to the pre- selected seats for them out of all the ones availably and decided on a seating arrangement. Amy was in the middle of course, and was sitting next to Ethan and Tad, leaving Nathan, Shane, and Carter on the outskirts of the conversation.  
  
"So, Ethan, you're from New Orleans?" Amy asked, calling back on a conversation she had with him before the first Candle Ceremony.  
  
"Well its actually not New Orleans, its around there though, this town called Covington. Pretty small. I spend most of my time in New Orleans anyway so I associate as being from there. I guess I never got out of the habit since I went to law school at Tulane."  
  
"Wow! Tulane. I hear they have a beautiful campus. I always wanted to visit but I never really had a reason to. Guess I might now." Amy said flirtingly, even though her mind was on a different man.  
  
Ethan, now embarrassed, turned to talk to Shane on his left side while Amy continued conversing with the men sitting to the right of her, particularly Tad.  
  
"So where did you guys go to college?" Amy asked, as only Tad replied.  
  
"Well I went to BU. It was fun. Lots of Jewish people." Tad said as Amy's mind again strayed to Ephram. "I'm a devout Catholic though, but it was cool getting to know the Jewish customs. Almost all of my friends were Jewish so whenever I went over to their houses for spring break or something we'd have Shabbat or Passover Seder or Hanukkah. I feel half Jewish myself."  
  
"Yeah so do I." Amy said, thinking again of Ephram. " I had an, um, friend in high school who was Jewish and he would occasionally tell me about Jewish stuff."  
  
"So Amy," Carter asked, from the end of the line of men surrounding Amy, "what do you do for a living?"  
  
"I'm a therapist for teens in Everwood, Colorado."  
  
"Weird choice of location. Not many people who need therapy there" Ethan stated while laughing, trying to sound all knowing but instead sounding arrogant.  
  
"It's where I grew up." Amy said, skillfully covering up her annoyance with him at his last comment.  
  
"That must be nice." Tad said nicely, to counteract Ethan's cruel comment.  
  
"Yeah, it is." Amy replied.  
  
"Look, its starting." Shane screamed so all the people on the date could hear, and they all turned their gaze to the corral. Everyone, including the cameramen, missed as Tad slowly moved his hand to Amy's, and everyone missed her purposely move her hand away from his.  
  


* * *

  
Ephram walked down the Rodeo Drive. He was looking around, but not really sure for what. Possibly a gift for Amy if anything, but he didn't know what.  
  
He had left the cameraman at the house, with the rest of the men all getting in a fight with Josh because he was hogging the TV. Or maybe it was because he wasn't making an effort to become friends with the guys. Ephram didn't really know, and didn't really care. He knew, more than anyone, that he was there for Amy, and only Amy.  
  
He stopped in front of a jewelry shop and looked into the window. He saw a beautiful engagement ring; one that he knew would look great on Amy. He vowed to one day place that ring on her finger, himself, and have it there, for the entire world to see.  
  


* * *

  
The rodeo had ended, it was pretty interesting, and no one had gotten hurt, except for maybe Tad, who was still recovering from his bruised ego. As the rodeo ended, the cameras were all turned off and all the camera men and producers and everyone who was there that had to do with the show left and went to a restaurant nearby that they had rented out for all the workers who had been working on taping The Man of Her Dreams. They had to leave for the mandatory private dinner for each of the dates.  
"It's almost like a normal date." Shane said, as they walked into the barn where the meal would be served. "Except for the fact that we're in a barn and there's five guys and one very beautiful lady."  
"Thanks." Amy said sweetly, as she sat down, with Shane sitting down next to her. She thought him to be a little over competitive. The whole thing seemed like a game to him instead of just a way to meet a nice woman who he could someday get married to. After getting to know him better she definitely didn't see him that way. She already knew he was out at the next Candle Ceremony, but she let him sit next to her anyway. Tad however, sat as far away from her as possible.  
They all ate their dinner of a Texas barbeque, complete with ribs and pulled pork and cornbread and chili. They all felt like they had gained a few pounds after that meal and were glad the cameras weren't there to see them now.  
Amy knew, that soon, the cameramen would be returning to shoot the one-on-one times. The producers had practically told them that that was the point of the time they had after dinner.  
As, one car at a time, the cameramen arrived, the men went away, one at a time to someplace where they would wait. Amy had no idea where this place one and didn't care much. The cameramen that had already arrived had told her that she was going to be spending the one-on-one times in a roomy horse stall that wasn't used anymore, but the set designers had come and made it look like it usually held a horse seven days of the week.  
The cameramen led Amy into the stall and she sat there, with the cameraman, and waited for the first man to arrive.  
  
A/N: Sorry, having a little bit of writers block again. I actually don't think its writers block but I have no idea what to have Amy and the other guys talk about. I guess it will be easier once I get started on the one-on- one dates. Until then, any ideas? Read and review and tell me your ideas, I need them! 


	9. Taking the Next Step

Ethan was the first person to walk into the stall. Amy was half sitting, half lying down in a large pile of very comfy hay. As Ethan came in he sat- laid down next to her.  
  
The cameras were rolling.  
  
"So, we didn't get a chance to talk to much during this date." Ethan began.  
  
"I would have liked to talk to you more." She said. "The more I get to know you the more I like you."  
  
"Y'know, I really feel a connection between us and, not to make it obvious that we're on a TV show and there's about five cameramen watching have this little talk, but I hope that at the next Candle Ceremony that you'll give me a little bit of your light." Ethan said, almost as though he had planned it. It was sweet, and this time, Amy actually meant what had told him. And she thought of this as he walked out of the door of the stall and she waited for the cameramen to tell her where to move to, so it seemed like she was in different places for different guys, instead of just one stall.  
  
The next three men came into the stall each one saying pretty much the same thing, and them sometimes varying into other topics such as favorite baseball or basketball teams, but mostly just about each other and the men saying how much they wanted her light.  
  
Finally it was the last man's turn, Tad's. Amy nervously waited in the stall. She didn't know what to do. She liked him, at least a little, but how could she do anything with Tad, to who her feelings for could not even be compared to by her feelings for Ephram.  
  
As he walked in, she felt her stomach drop like it often did when she was nervous. She had no idea what to say to him. She didn't know if he thought it was as big a deal, and he probably wouldn't. She knew she shouldn't. It wasn't that big a deal and she was making it out to be. But the only person she really wanted to hold hands with now was Ephram.  
  
"Hi Tad." Amy said, trying to sound confident, and achieving it, but not to herself.  
  
"Hey." He said. It seemed as though he had already forgotten about "Hand Incident" as Amy had come to affectionately call it.  
  
"Um..." Amy said nervously. She was horrible at bringing up subjects that were hard to talk about. She definitely hadn't changed for this whole dilemma with Tad. "Well, the thing is, earlier, right as the rodeo was starting, you tried to hold my hand." Amy blurted out, speaking faster then she ever had in her life. She had no idea how to tell someone something like this, even if it wasn't something huge, that was just who she was. "Well, um," Amy said, slowing down her pace. "I was just wondering what exactly that was."  
  
"I'm sorry." Tad said. The fact was, that he knew it was coming. He had tried to forget it but he couldn't, he really liked Amy, and he had always been the fast moving type. He just hoped that now it wouldn't hurt any chance he ever had, or would have, with Amy. "I always move pretty fast. And if that's not the way that you are then I'm totally fine with that. See, the thing is that I really like you. I wouldn't have tried to hold your hand if I didn't. And I not going to give you some bullshit about how I want light from your candle. Because this is real and I'm not going to make this all just a show. This is a way to find someone that could really be my soulmate." Tad said. It was a great and persuasive speech, even if he hadn't meant it to be. "So what do you say we put that behind us and we can wait until you decide you want to hold hands with me?"  
  
"That sounds good." Amy replied. She thought it was nice and sweet and she was totally convinced that he was a nice guy and that she should at least bring him into the next round. But she knew that she still had a whole other date to go through. At least Ephram would be on this one.  
  
* * *  
  
"So how was the date?" Ephram asked as soon as they were both safely in the hotel room. In response he got a playful eye roll. "That good, huh?"  
"Well, you weren't there." Amy said, grabbing his hand and pulling him down to the bed, kissing him and taking off her jeans and tight white tee-shirt at the same time. As they leaned back onto the bed kissing, Ephram slowly pulled away. "Amy, there's something I have to tell you." Ephram said, sounding solemn and sincere, and anyone there would not doubt that he was about to tell Amy something horrible. "What is it?"Amy asked worried. She didn't want there to be anything to stop the fairytale romance that she was having with the man she had loved since she was fifteen.  
"Well, there's been something I've wanted to tell you for, God, ten years now." Ephram said, with the same tone and look on his face, as Amy lay next to him, her eyes wide and seemingly hopeless as she waited for him to tell her.  
"Amy," Ephram said, holding both her hands, "I love you." He finally said. And smiled. He had finally told her, the woman he had put above all others, the one he had waited his whole life for, and he knew was worth it.  
  
As she leaned in to kiss him, he knew that she was the one.  
  
"I've always loved you." Amy said. "Although it may not have seemed that way, I just couldn't let you know before. But now..." Amy said, trailing off as they began kissing again and Ephram began to peel off his boxers.  
  
A/N: So there it was. It took me so long. I needed to get back to some Ephram/Amy scenes. I mean this is how obvious it is of how great their chemistry if its even easier to write about them. But there's much more Ephram/Amy action to come, probably making the chapters much closer together. Keep on enjoying! 


	10. What a Hockey Rink Looks Like

"So this is what hockey rink looks like?" Ephram cited when the group consisting of Amy and Aaron, Gabe, Seth, Josh, and of course, Ephram sat down at their seats in the hockey rink. Ephram, being the only person brave enough to talk, not to mention the only one who Amy was in love with, was monopolizing the conversation. Well, him and Amy were together. It was more of a private conversation between them, although they still were pretending to barely know each other. "I can't believe you've never been to a hockey rink. I thought you were the New York rich kid who went everywhere and saw everything." Amy joked with him. They weren't very good at pretending they didn't know each other. "You know sports weren't really my thing, that's Del- I mean, my little sister Delia's thing." Ephram said, catching himself just in time. However, this seemed to break them out of their dream world and told Amy to talk to some of the other men, although she was now seated comfortably between Ephram and Aaron. She had sat next to Ephram in the limo too. She hoped they weren't too obvious. "So, Aaron, you're from California?" "Yep, the Golden State. Actually it is not quite so Golden anymore. I mean, Ahhnald isn't doing much for us, and I thought the Forty-Niner's used to be good." Aaron said laughing, and Amy laughed with him, he was a funny guy. The class clown type. "Well the Rockies were never exactly good. Wait, that's baseball." Amy said, correcting her mistake she had made on purpose for conversational issues. It worked. "It doesn't matter. I have this great Rockies hat anyway, I think the Rockies' colors look best on me don't you think?" Aaron said, mock-striking a pose as Amy laughed. "Definitely your colors." Amy managed to say amidst her giggling. She liked him, but already she saw him as just a friend. "And you own a real estate company. That's pretty big for a guy who's only twenty-eight." "Well, I inherited it from my father, who was a big real estate mogul in Fresno, and when he died, he passed it on to me. And given I was only 15 at the time, my mom ran the business until I got out of college and was ready to take my dad's place." "I'm sorry about your dad." Amy replied respectfully and felt closer to him than she had before. "It's ok, it was thirteen years ago after all. And he and I never were really that close. He was always working and he was a hard drinker..." He said, trailing off, and Amy could tell that he was holding in some tough memories that she didn't feel needed to be divulged on at this point in their relationship, or whatever it was that they were doing. Getting to know each other maybe. That was at least how she liked to put it at the time-being. Not knowing what to say, Amy turned to watch the hockey game, which had just begun. It was the Los Angeles Kings versus the Colorado Avalanche, making it an interesting game for Amy. She pretended to root for the Kings, but her and Ephram secretly smiled at each other every time the Avalanche made a really good pass or a goal. She would always be a Coloradonian, and Ephram, after his first year in Everwood, would always be one at heart. Amy she only talked briefly with Gabe, Seth, and Josh throughout the game. She didn't really have anything to say to most of them, mostly just stuff like "That was a good pass," and "Nice shot!". There was just no click between her and any of the three other men on the date.  
  
After the game, the crew, packed up, like they had at the rodeo date, and let Amy and the five men have their own private dinner date. Again, she sat next to Ephram and hoped that no one had noticed that he was the only one that she was really talking to and that he was always the closest to her and that he was the only person who really made her cheeks turn bright red. And she was glad they did. She loved the feeling. It was a feeling she hadn't felt since high school. A feeling she hadn't felt since the last time she'd seen Ephram.  
They went through dinner talking to each other, and occasionally stopping their conversation abruptly, looking each other in the eye, and trying to cover up their secret by immediately turning and talking to someone else. If you knew and were watching, it was a funny sight, and they felt pretty foolish doing it, but knew they had to.  
And luckily, no one noticed them. At least for the time being.  
During their one on one time, back in the RV that had driven them there, complete with bedroom, kitchen, dining room, and living room, they tried not to show to the cameras how much in love with each other they really were. And they didn't kiss once, although they both could tell from the look in each other's eyes how much they both wanted to. And Amy didn't go anywhere near getting physical with any of the other men. She didn't ever want to. She found her soul mate, and she never wanted to even touch another man. And it wasn't a problem, she wasn't supposed to be kissing anyone yet anyway. Although her heart told her to just kiss Ephram in the back of the RV, without anyone knowing except her, Ephram, and the cameramen that were filming them. But she decided against it, she didn't want anything she did to come back to haunt her later.  
And that night at the hotel room, all the passion that had built up over the course of the day made that night one that they would never forget. And one that reminded them they truly were soul mates.  
  
A/N: Hey guys. I'm glad you're still with me. I haven't been updating as frequently as I would like to. But I'm trying. But I want to ask you guys a question. And answer honestly. Do you think this story is getting boring, what with it having almost no conflict. I already have a twist prepared if that's what you want, and it was suggested by one of my diligent readers. So just read and review and tell me what you think. I'm a writer by the people, for the people. I'll write what you want. 


	11. Another Welcome

A/N: I'm back. Sorry I took so long to write this chapter. I was just so busy with school and my family got a laptop so I never came on my computer where I had this document. But its here now, and I hope you enjoy it!  
  
The next night was the second Candle Ceremony, and it was time for Amy to reduce the field of men from ten to seven. It wouldn't be that hard of a cut for her, she already knew whom she did and didn't like. But she knew she would have to pretend she was terribly upset about sending three men home.  
  
As Chris led the ten men into the house, he could tell that they were all nervous. Except for Ephram, Chris noticed that he seemed unusually calm. There was always a more unique one in the group he thought to himself.  
  
When all the men had arrived and were standing in the appropriate places Chris began a speech, one of which he would be giving at every Candle Ceremony, except for the last.  
  
"Tonight Amy is going to light seven candle. Each candle and the light that shines from it represents the feelings that Amy has grown to have for you. Over the past week." Chris said, almost exactly the way he had at the previous Candle Ceremony. "If Amy does not extend her light to your candle you will have to leave the Dream House and be on your way home tomorrow." Chris said, keeping this harsh realization down lightly on the men who didn't know if they were going to be chosen or not.  
  
With that, Chris went upstairs to the Consideration Room to have a filmed talk with the Woman of Their Dreams.  
  
* * *  
  
A chubby cameraman with almost less than no hair gave Chris the signal to start his conversation with Amy.  
  
"So Amy, now that you've gotten to know the Men of Your Dreams better, anyone in particular that stood out to you, either good or bad?" Chris said, one of the questions he had chosen off a list that the producers had given him.  
  
"Definitely," Amy said. "Tad seems like a really nice guy and I felt a connection with him, it was like we could talk and not have to think about what we were going to talk about. And Ephram, well Ephram is just amazing." Amy said, trying not to give away the fact that she was in love with him and she had been for ten years.  
  
"Has there been anyone who didn't meet your expectations?"  
  
"For the most part, no. There have been some men who I didn't feel a spark between as much as the other's but I have nothing against any of these men as people." Amy replied, it was a perfect answer.  
  
"Do you have any idea who you're sending home tonight?" Chris asked, moving on to the next question.  
  
"Not really. It's just such a hard decision, I need as much time as I can get." Amy replied, quick to lie. What was she supposed to say? That she had been in love with the same man for ten years and now she was here and she didn't even want to look at the other men?  
  
"Well then Amy, I think it's time that you make your decision. I'll leave you here to consider your options, and in a couple of minutes, I'll come back and take you to the men of your dreams."  
  
The cameras were turned off as Chris left the room but turned back on again as Amy began "considering". She picked up the pictures of the men and listened to their video messages, and after about ten minutes she was ready to head downstairs for the Candle Ceremony with Chris.  
  
When she arrived in the fanciest room of the mansion it was not only full of men who were standing in correct formation, hoping they would be chosen by her, but it was also crawling with video cameras to tape this "big event"  
  
Chris had already said his speech and she was already going through the motions she had already memorized. She told them how hard it was to pick just seven men out of the ten that were there and that it was a hard decision and she wished everyone could stay. She was kind of repeating herself with the hard decision nonsense and she knew it, but all the men, Chris, and the camera crew bought it all.  
  
Then she began to give some of her light to her seven men's candles. First Aaron, then Nathan, then Shane, then Ethan, and then Tad. Next she picked Ephram, which was the easiest choice of all. Finally, she lit Josh's candle. And that was it, her final seven men were chosen.  
  
Chris told Carter, Seth, and Gabe, the rejected men, that they would have a few minutes to say their goodbyes, but then they would have to leave. Each took time to say bye to the men they had become friends with in the time that they were living in the house together, but in the end, they all ended up saying goodbye to Amy. She was the reason they were there and the knew it.  
  
When the three who Amy hadn't selected had finished their goodbyes, all the men and Amy, were waiting for the cameras to turn off and for Chris to tell them that they could go. Instead Chris moved to the front of the room, near to where Amy was standing and began speaking to everyone, not just the men, but Amy too.  
  
"You didn't think you could get this far in The Man of Her Dreams without a twist did you?" Chris said, trying to sound funny and failing. After years of being completely blank with no personality as his TV personality, it was hard to change that image. There will be another woman, who will be moving into the guest house of this very house. She will have separate dates with groups of men. And at the next Candle Ceremony, the men will vote and decide if they want her to stay or go.  
  
Everyone was standing there shocked. This sort of thing had never happened in The Man of Her Dreams, or any reality-romance show. It was always a group competing for one other woman. However, despite their reactions, Chris finished his speech.  
  
"I want you all to welcome Madison to The Man of Her Dreams!"  
  
A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry! You guys were begging for a twist, this is it. I would hate the writer if this happened to a fanfiction but I made a doorway for Madison to leave. Because trust me, I don't want her to be here. I'm just about as Ephramy as it is possible to be. It really does pain me to write that she is in the show. But what has to happen has to happen, and it did. I'm gonna change around a few facts of the show for this fanfiction so that it can be more Ephramy. But remember, this will stay Ephramy and absolutely nothing else. And I'll try to update as soon as possible so I don't leave you hanging on a thread for too long. 


	12. Ephram and Amy and Madison

Amy walked down the hallway of the now familiar hotel doing the now familiar routine of checking around corners as she made her way to the room where she and Ephram spent their nights here in LA. She had a key and was about to open the door when she heard footsteps behind her, she assumed it was Ephram who was just arriving.  
  
"Hey," Amy said breathily, her eyes close and her mouth open ready to be kissed.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing here? You're supposed to be at the house."  
  
Amy opened her eyes to find, not Ephram, but Madison, glaring at her.  
  
"How did you get here? How did you know about Ephram and me? Why are you here?" Amy blurted out, from sheer embarrassment and worry that Madison would tell the producers.  
  
"So you're here to see Ephram. I should have figured. You were always in the way anyway." Madison said angrily.  
  
"Woa," Amy said, half afraid that Madison was going to jump on her. "Just calm down." Amy stated, trying to sound like the older and wiser person, when in truth, Madison was already 30 and Amy was still only 25.  
  
Madison ignored Amy's plea and began banging on the door.  
  
"Ephram, its Madison I need to talk to you. And now that Amy's here there's even more I need to talk to you about." Madison screamed, but tried to keep her voice down, she was in a fancy hotel and it was already just a little after midnight.  
  
"Madison, Amy, what are you doing here?" Ephram asked, coming up from behind them. Apparently he wasn't in the room and had just arrived.  
  
"This little bitch-"Madison managed the throw out of her mouth before Ephram stopped her.  
  
"Why don't we just all go into the room and have a calm and quiet conversation about this, OK?" Ephram said, seemingly calm, while in truth, his mind was running with thousands of questions.  
  
Madison silently agreed and Amy thanked Ephram with her eyes. Madison was not a nice person when she was angry.  
  
* * *  
  
They each sat in a different part of the room. Ephram sat on the bed, Amy sat on the armchair near the window, and Madison sat on the luggage bench. They all looked at each other awkwardly. Amy and Ephram weren't sure about what Madison was going to think about what they had been doing sneaking into a hotel room in the middle of the night. They both figured that she would guess exactly right. Madison just felt stupid. They had sat in the room in silence for long enough for her to feel stupid for the way she had blown up in the hall.  
  
"So who's gonna talk first?" Ephram said, trying to sound like the wisest person there.  
  
"Okay," Madison replied angrily. She may have felt stupid for what she had done but she was still mad. "What the hell are you guys doing sneaking into a hotel room in the middle of the night when you are both on that damn TV show?"  
  
"Maybe either Amy or I should go first." Ephram said calmly, completely deflecting the question.  
  
"Go ahead," Madison answered back, "I'd love to know the story behind all of this."  
  
"Well Ephram and I..." Amy started to say, the first thing she had said since they had entered the room.  
  
"We love each other. "Ephram said, finishing Amy's sentence. She couldn't help thinking that they were just like a married couple. She loved the thought.  
  
"There I said it." Ephram stated, as though it were some big secret.  
  
"And what exactly are you guys doing in a hotel room at night? Having a little affaire are we?" Madison practically screamed. Ephram and Amy just stared at their feet.  
  
"Ok, then." Madison said, sounding surprisingly ok with this news. "I'll just tell the producers of the show what you guys have been doing." Her tone earlier made sense now. "Just coming to this hotel and fucking each other every night."  
  
"Madison don't!" Ephram said, and opposed to Madison's almost- yelling, he was screaming.  
  
"And why shouldn't I? So you guys can screw the show, the other men, the producers, and me, over and leave from a six week stay in LA where you've been riding in limos and getting luxury dates, and then go off on an all-expenses paid honeymoon with your one and only soul mate. Sounds perfect. Don't you think. I think it's a little too perfect."  
  
"Madison please." Amy pleaded.  
  
"C'mon, I'll put in a good word for you at the Men's House and we can go from there. Maybe if you're lucky you'll find your soul mate too, it is worth a try. And if you don't like any of the guys then we can work it we can have another little chat. Ok, how's that?" Ephram asked, bargaining.  
  
"I guess I could live with that." Madison said, accepting his offer.  
  
"Thanks." Ephram and Amy both said at the same time and smiled at each other with the same looks in both of their eyes.  
  
"Well Madison you must be getting pretty tired. You should be heading back out to your Dream House, right?"  
  
"Yeah, how about Amy comes with me and you leave and go back to your Dream House. I'm not letting you guys stay here to have mad sex tonight. Sorry guys, you're just gonna have to wait another day." Madison said. She knew she had majorly compromised, but she didn't have a choice. She was bargaining with Ephram, and she could just never turn him down. She couldn't back in Everwood and she knew she wouldn't be able to in Los Angeles either.  
  
Ephram leant down and gave Amy a quick kiss on the cheek so as not to upset Madison and he locked the door and they each went out separate exits of the hotel.  
  
Ephram and Amy were already both awaiting the next time they would see each other.  
  
A/N: Don't think Ephram and Amy are getting off easy with this. There's a lot more to come with Madison, and she will most definitely get in the way. But not enough to make this fic any less Ephramy. You don't ever have to worry about that. Just wait for the next few chapters. The drama grows! 


	13. Dishing the Dirt

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I really do appreciate the flames. It lets me know what I need to improve. I'll try not to let my hatred of Madison overshadow her actual character. Oh...and Ephram broke up with Madison, I think I already said that, and that whole pregnancy thing didn't happen. It just doesn't really work for my fanfiction.  
  
Amy heard the doorbell ring and left her room in her Dream House to go answer the door. She was surprised to see Chris there – without a cameracrew.  
  
"Hi, Amy. I was just wondering if we could talk. Some stuff for the show and I thought maybe we could just talk, as friends." Chris said when he got to the door.  
  
"That'd be great." Amy replied. "I haven't really had anyone to talk to recently. I never realized how lonely it would be to be the Woman of Their Dreams. Come in."  
  
When they were seated in the large living room, complete with a not just big screen, more along the lines of huge screen, TV, a pool table, and CD Player.  
  
"Well first things first, the stuff for the show," Chris said, after Amy had gotten them both glasses of water. Her mother had always taught her to be a good hostess. "For the next round in-between candle ceremonies, you get to choose your two single dates. The men won't know that you picked them, they will think that it was my a compatibility test that you and them took before you all came here. You can tell them that you chose them if you want, that's up to you.  
  
"Should I tell you now?" Amy asked. She already knew she was taking Ephram on one date but the other she wasn't so sure. Probably Tad, he seemed pretty nice. She just hoped he wouldn't make a move on her again. But then again, that was part of the show.  
  
"You can call the production at any time in the next two days and let them know your decision."  
  
"OK." Amy said, making a personal note to choose her second date as soon as possible.  
  
"Now," Chris said, getting suddenly much more lively, "give me the dirt! Who's hot who's not? Who's the best kisser?" he said as they both laughed. She was glad she could tell somebody, and she wasn't about to tell Madison how she and Ephram were in love. Of course, she couldn't tell Chris that either.  
  
"Well," Amy said hesitantly, deciding whether or not to tell Chris. Why the hell not? She thought. I could keep information to a minimum. "Well, the only person I really feel a connection with so far is Ephram."  
  
"I knew you'd like him. Since I saw your face when you first saw him and the way you acted at the hockey date." Chris replied. Little did he know that her face was out of shock and that it wasn't their first few hours together when they were at the hockey game.  
  
"I definitely want Ephram to be one of the men I go on a one-on-one date with. We need some more time alone." Amy said, practically giving away that they had spent time alone before. "I mean, other than the five minutes or so during the group date." She said, quickly correcting her mistake.  
  
"I'll be sure to let the producers know." Chris told her and was followed by an awkward pause. There really was nothing else to say.  
  
"Well, you better be going." Amy finally said, shattering their period of silence. "I've got to get to thinking about that second one-on- one date."  
  
"OK." Chris replied, standing up. "I'll see you at the next Candle Ceremony." And he walked out the door and Amy closed the door behind him.  
  
As soon as she heard his fancy car leave the driveway, she immediately ran upstairs and turned on her cell phone and quickly dialed Ephram's cell number.  
  
"Hello." Ephram said, picking up his phone. He still had a phone from when he was a teenager and it didn't even have caller ID. Amy had made fun of him for having a dinosaur phone even when they were back in Everwood. Add ten years to that. But Amy knew the real reason why Ephram kept the phone. It was because it was the number she had called when she told Ephram she wanted to see him one last time.  
  
"Hey Ephram, its me." Amy said.  
  
Ephram knew immediately who it was. "Hey, what's up? Anything interesting happening over at your place?"  
  
"Well, Chris just came over and told me that I was going to have two one-on-one dates and I get to choose who they are. And naturally I chose you." Amy said, wishing she could give him a kiss.  
  
"That's awesome," Ephram said, "I can't wait!"  
"Yeah, me either." Amy said excitedly. "Just keep it on the down-low. Chris is gonna tell the rest of the guys that it was chosen by a compatibility test."  
  
Will do." Ephram replied. "I'll see you tonight, 10 o'clock in front of the movie theater. Honestly, when is Woody Allen gonna stop making movies? That guys gotta be like 70 by now."  
  
"See you then." Amy said with a laugh. "I love you"  
  
"Love you too." Ephram said as he hung up.  
  
He couldn't wait!  
  
A/N: I know, I know, its such a short chapter. But I promise you, longer and more frequent chapters. And don't worry, we're not done with the drama of the Madison situation. Please review! 


	14. Two Boxes in One

A/N: Sorry, my chapters have been really bad or boring recently. I'm gonna try to make them better. I also haven't updated for like 4 months. And that's not good. I wanna keep churning out the chapters. Good ones too. Here's my shot. Tell me what you think.

Tad slid into the limo until he was right next to Amy. He wasn't too close though, comfortably close.

"Its good to see you again." Tad said, as soon as he had gotten comfortable.

"It's good to see you too." Amy replied. She'd rather be with Ephram, but she knew that was coming. She had chosen to have his date be second, saving the best for last.

"So where are we off to toady. I'm sure the producers have something great in store for us. The video said something about a day of relaxation."

"We're going to this great spa nearby." Amy replied. "There's a great pool and hot tub, and we can get massages."

"And you in a bikini, how much better can it get." Tad said, as means of a joke. However, Amy didn't find it very funny, she found it to be sleazy, and the rest of the limo ride was spent in silence.

Tad returned from his date with Amy in not one of his best moods. The entire day was awkward and whenever he tried to break the silence he would say something stupid, just pushing Amy farther and farther away.

"Hey man how'd the date go?" Shane asked when he saw Tad walk in through the front door.

If Tad were talking to his friends from home he would have told them that the date had been shitty. But he didn't want these men thinking they were better off than him in Amy's eyes.

"It was great!" Tad lied. And he was great at it. "We spent a great day at the spa and went swimming. Damn did she look hot in a bikini. And then we got massages in the usual style. Naked of course."

Ephram couldn't help but feel jealous as Tad explained how much fun he'd had on his date with Amy. But then again, it was part of the show.

"And then," Tad said, continuing his "modifications" to the date, " there was this great dinner set up for us in front of the fountains and we were all alone and it was perfect. And as the sun was setting, I kissed her." Tad said, completing his description, if you could call it that. He knew it was far from the truth. But hey, if you're gonna dream, Dream big!

Ephram was now thoroughly pissed off.

"I think I'm gonna head off to bed guys." Ephram said. He sometimes wondered if he was the only one in the entire house that ever got tired. And why every single other man was like an overage frat boy.

"And miss the party?" Ethan shouted, "Its our night of from the cameras and Nathan here got us some liquor. It won't be quite as much of a party without girls, but you can't have everything." He said with a smile.

"I think I'll pass." Ephram replied. "Hard liquor was never really my thing."

"We got beer." Ethan came back with. He wasn't the kind to let a thing like this go without everyone in the house getting drunk.

"I'm in AA." Ephram lied and ran towards his room to get out of the party.

The next day Chris came by, but this time, he did not come with a tape, instead he came with a box. He dropped it off and called "Have Fun!" at no one in particular, but all the men knew that he was calling it to the man who was going on the next one-on-one date with Amy. Ephram knew it was him. Amy had already told him. Now all that was a surprise was seeing what the date would be.

As Aaron brought the box to the living room all the men began to crowd around it. Except for Tad, who was sitting in front of them watching TV and pretending he couldn't care less. He knew it was Ephram, he could sense it. He saw the vibe between them, and he saw that there wasn't one between him and Amy.

However, everyone was surprised when the larger box had two smaller boxes in it. One labeled for Ephram, the other for Ethan. The other guys, although slightly upset, started giving them pats on the back for scoring a date.

Ephram opened his box to find a slab of cement with handprints in it. At the top of the cement the name was signed: Madison Kellner. It was meant to look the front of Gromman's Chinese Theater. Underneath the slab there was a note that said:

"_Are you ready for some good Hollywood fun? Well that's what we're going to do. Fly above the Hollywood sign in a helicopter, see a movie at the Chinese Theater, and even spend a few hours at Disneyland. Get ready Tinseltown!_

_Love,_

_Madison"_

Madison. It was signed Madison. Ephram couldn't believe it. He couldn't do it he couldn't. Amy had said that she had told Chris that she wanted him on a date. And he highly doubted that Madison wanted to go on a date with him. He was confused, and kind of worried. What the hell would he do with Madison for a whole day, not to mention having to be watched by cameramen who expected them not to know each other and to be trying to start a relationship.

Ethan on the other hand was thrilled to be going scuba diving in an aquarium with Amy.

"You lucky bastard." Nathan screamed in Ephram's ear. "That Madison is one hot chick."

"Aren't I lucky." Ephram mumbled under his breath.


	15. Dates: Doubled

A/N: See I'm trying to keep up the updating! And remember...the pregnancy from season 2 finale did not happen. And I promise, its not because I''m in denial. I just think that would screw up a lot of stuff for this fic. Lia06: Sorry about the Ephram/Madison. I hate them too don't worry! I wouldn't do anything evil.

Enjoy!

Ephram walked outside the men's dream house in a white and blue baseball tee and a pair of jeans. He wasn't ready for this day. Too bad he couldn't call in sick. He was supposed to want this. When he saw the limo pull into the huge driveway his stomach did a huge flip. Not because he was excited, but because he was dreading it.

Madison popped her head out of the car and once again, Ephram came face to face with his first love, and second choice.

"Ephram!" She said, with a surprised look on her face. She wasn't expecting him and she didn't know if she was upset or excited. No matter how she felt she had to act excited. For the cameras. She ran up to him and gave him a hug and together scooted into the limo, followed by the cameramen. They were in for drama fit for Hollywood.

An hour or so later the rest of the men came out the house and were greeted by another limo. Amy's limo. The limo was soon filled by Aaron, Nathan, Shane, Ethan, and Josh. She was surprised when she saw Aaron come into the limo. She pretended not to notice. And when the rest of them came in, she had no idea what the hell was going on. She acted as normal as she could but the whole time she was wondering where Ephram was.

"Amy?" Shane asked Amy.

"Yeah." Amy replied.

"You seem kinda distant. You ok. I mean you didn't even laugh at Josh's Dropping the Soap joke."

Amy hadn't heard the joke. But from the title, she was sure she wouldn't have laughed anyway.

"So, Ephram what do you do for a living?" Madison politely asked. They had been doing all day, for two hours. For the helicopter ride they looked outside the windows looked excited and pretended to be excited to be with each other. But now that they were about to go to the movies they actually had to talk.

They had the theater all to themselves. Except of course for the massive amounts of cameracrews. They had promised that they would leave during the movie. The owners of the theater were stretching the rules by letting the cameras in at all and when they asked to film during the movie the idea was immediately nixed.

"I play piano. Some say I'm on the way to being an international star!" Ephram said with the same sarcasm he had kept for all those years.

Madison couldn't help but grin. Grin like she used to. Back when they were dating and he would say something funny like that. In a way she still missed him after all these years.

Thinking of years made her laugh to herself. Years. She had been so uptight back then. She knew she had given up something great for a stupid reason. That's why she never forgave herself. He was the perfect guy. She hadn't dated anyone better before or after. Amy was a lucky girl.

The lights began to get dark and the cameramen left as the commercials began to play.

"Ephram, we need to talk." Madison said as soon as the cameramen were definitely gone.

"You're telling me. What the hell am I doing here?" Ephram replied.

"Look Ephram I had no idea what happened. I would've thought you'd be on a date with Amy. I mean no matter what compatibility test or whatever other crap they throw at you, you guys are gonna end up together."

"What?"

"Look, you and Amy are perfect for each other. I'm not even thinking about us. The truth is I love you too much for you not to live life with the person who you're obviously meant to be with."

"Wait, you love me?" The confused Ephram asked. "I never knew you even loved me back then. But now? I haven't even seen you for 10 years."

"I always loved you Ephram. I just didn't know it." Madison replied, saying the last part softly. She looked down, even though the movie had just begun.

"Madison," Ephram said, pulling her chin up with his hand, "What's done is done. I guess I should have told you that before we started dating. I had already fallen in love with Amy, nothing could have stopped it. Not even a beautiful and great girl like you. Well I guess you were more of a woman. But I fell in love with you. But I just couldn't live life without my first choice. I'm sorry Madison."

"Its fine." Madison said, wiping a tear from her eye. "I knew it back then and I know it now. The only difference is that this time I won't get in the way."


	16. Revelation

A/N: Sorry its taken so long. I've been so caught up with school. Not to mention I had a severe case of writers block. Not to mention the fact that I'm grounded until the end of January. With the extra free time I think there's gonna be a lot of updating. I'm also thinking of maybe doing a OneShot. But I hope this is good. And to make up for all the time that I made you wait, I'm making some extra twists to make the story extra fun! Hope you like them.

The third rose ceremony had arrived and Amy and Madison were both at the Dream Mansion getting ready. They had already sent over a pre-selected dress for each of them.

"Hold on!" Amy screamed when she heard a knock on the door. She had hoped it was Chris. She wanted to talk to him about the mess up about her awful group date and Madison being on a date with Ephram.

Amy zipped up the back of her dress and went to open the door.

"Madison!" Amy said sounding surprised. "What are you doing here?'

"I do stay at the guest house." Madison said. "But I just wanted to know your opinion. Do I look ok?" Madison asked. Doing a twirl.

"You look great." Amy replied. "How do I look?" she asked back.

"You look even better. Ephram will love it." Madison answered.

Immediately the tension in the room grew about 1000 percent. "About that. "Amy, you know Ephram would never do anything with me on our date. He would never touch another girl."

"I trust him." Amy replied in a convincing tone as if Madison was on the offense.

"I know you do. But I just want you to know how great of a guy he is. I have to tell you I'm jealous."

"I'd love to say don't be jealous, but hey, if I were you I'd be jealous too." Amy said with a laugh and Madison joined her.

"You've got that right. But I just want you to know that I talked to him. He knows how I felt – how I feel – and we talked it over. Its just too bad that the only guy we've both ever truly loved is the same guy." Amy was silent. "And that he chose to love you back."

"Madison-" Amy said, protesting, but was cut off.

"Don't worry about it Amy. I'm sure I'll find a great guy that, if not here, is somewhere else. I just want you to know that everything is good between us."

"Thanks Madison, it means a lot to me." Amy replied. She was glad they had worked this all out.

Chris came out of the side room to see all the men standing in their usual formation.

"Now before the two beautiful women come out to begin the candle ceremony, I would like to ask if any of you do not see either Amy or Madison as someone you could fall in love with, then if you would like to leave The Man of Her Dreams." Chris said, stating what was mandatory. And as expected none of the men chose to leave. They never did. With that Chris called Madison and Amy in. They had already spent time together in the Consideration Room and had decided on the next four men that would continue to go to their hometowns and would show them to Amy and Madison.

Amy and Madison came into the room and lit the candles of three of the men, Nathan, Tad, and Ephram. It was finally time for the last candle to be lit as Shane, Ethan, Aaron, and Josh waited anxiously.

Amy called Aaron's name and he came forward.

"Aaron will you accept this light?" Amy asked, expecting the usual "I'd love to."

"I can't." Aaron said sadly. To Amy, and the turned to the rest of the room. They could all see a speech coming. "I never should have come on this show. I just can't be here. The fact is, and I haven't told anyone this yet, but the fact is, well…I'm gay." Aaron said, and let out a big breath that it seemed he had been holding in for a lifetime. "I came on the show because I thought it might change things, and that I wouldn't have to let down my family and friends. But I realize, that none of that matters. And that what matters is to be true to myself. And Madison and Amy, I really do love you guys, as friends. I hope we can do something after all this is over." He paused. "But I have to go now. This isn't my place, and now I have to leave. I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble." Aaron said, finishing his speech.

At that, Amy began to clap, followed closely behind my Madison, then Ephram, and soon enough all the other men. Aaron came forward and gave Amy and Madison each a hug and then went out the front door and was gone.

After things were silent for what seemed like forever, Chris stepped in. "Well that was certainly interesting. And I guess its going to be just three in this next round of dates. Shane, Ethan, and Josh, say your goodbyes." As they did, Chris could be heard in the background talking to one of the cameramen. "That was better than anything the network could have come up with." He said with a kindhearted laugh.

A/N: Hope that wasn't too soap opera for you. Expect more fun stuff soon. But only if you review. Review, Review, Review.


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